The Human Emperor

Theoretically, since Wang Chong had Dragon Qi, he satisfied the conditions to enter the Celestial Palace. But when it came to putting it into practice, not even Master Guangcheng was sure if it would work.

Buzz!

Wang Chong said nothing, but he instinctively grew nervous. Though Master Guangcheng had not gone into the details, in Wang Chong’s special state, he could sense that the golden energy from the Celestial Palace was beginning to pulse.

It was clear that Heaven had noticed something, and he might quickly realize that the Celestial Palace was being targeted. If that really happened, Heaven would simply need to close the passage to end the attempt.

“I can find it! Definitely!” Wang Chong said to himself.

At this time, Wang Chong had a powerful urge to shoot into the air and use spacetime power to reach the Celestial Palace, using the simplest and crudest methods to force his way in.

But Wang Chong suppressed this impulse the moment it appeared.

His rationality told him that even if this method could work, Heaven was no fool. Before he could even get close, he would be discovered and stopped.

Wang Chong took in a deep breath, cleared away his miscellaneous thoughts, and focused all of his thoughts above him.

Time flew by, and the pulses of golden energy grew stronger and stronger. He truly didn’t have much time left.

After a seemingly interminable second, just when Wang Chong’s nerves were most tense, bzzz!

In the numerous overlapping dimensions above him, Wang Chong sensed a special point of light.

This light was originally as small as a mote of dust, but as Wang Chong focused his attention on it, the dot rapidly expanded. It was soon the size of a sesame seed, and then the size of a millstone, and by the end, it appeared like a brilliant sun in Wang Chong’s senses, golden light gushing out from it.

Not only that, as Wang Chong sensed that unique energy, he felt as if some inexplicable connection was linking him with that special point of light.

It was like they were connected by blood, their fates linked together.

Roooar!

At almost the same time, within the dome created by Master Guangcheng, a resounding voice penetrated through the depths of spacetime, like the roaring of ten thousand dragons. A golden light erupted from every pore of Wang Chong’s body, swiftly transforming into a massive, nine-clawed golden dragon, half-illusion and half-real. This noble dragon raised its dignified head and looked up at the Celestial Palace.

As this dragon appeared around Wang Liang, a dragon roar came from the depths of the Celestial Palace.

“Master!”

Little Nightmare and Master Guangcheng were both shaken. They knew that Master Guangcheng’s method had worked.

At this time, Wang Chong was sensing something completely different from anyone. The capital appeared completely calm, but Wang Chong could sense that the Celestial Palace had erupted with a pull that was like a black hole. He felt like he was being summoned, and he was drawn toward the source of the pull like a river flowing into the ocean.

This was the pull of Dragon Qi!

Wang Chong immediately understood that the Celestial Palace had accumulated an immense amount of ancient Dragon Qi. Comparing Wang Chong’s Dragon Qi to this was like comparing a firefly to the sun. This was why Wang Chong felt like he was being summoned.

“Wait for me here. I know how to get in.”

Wang Chong’s voice rang out, and as he looked up at the Celestial Palace, his eyes shone like stars. A moment later, Wang Chong jumped out of the protective dome.

As Wang Chong left Master Guangcheng’s dome, something incredible happened.

Ancient and mysterious symbols appeared above the Western Mausoleum and began to circle around, constantly resonating with each other as they began to assemble into some special structure.

Bang!

In less time than it took to blink, a gale rippled through the capital, shaking the roof tiles of the Imperial Palace.

Above the capital, in the depths of spacetime, a golden pillar issued out of the Celestial Palace and engulfed Wang Chong.

At the same time, the tens of thousands of dimensions above the capital fiercely trembled.

“The Heaven-Reaching Path!” Master Guangcheng muttered in shock as he stared at the golden passage.

The golden pillar was not a pillar of light, but a spatial passage formed from special laws that led to the Celestial Palace.

Those mysterious symbols in the air were a part of this passage, and the seal contained within them was unimaginably powerful. No one except a person with Dragon Qi could use it.

To force one’s way through was to receive the full force of the Celestial Palace, death in both body and soul!

“Whether or not you can succeed will depend on yourself. I can only send you up to here,” Master Guangcheng muttered.

He watched as that pillar of golden light rapidly faded away, and within the golden pillar, Wang Chong’s aura also rapidly moved away.

Not only that, Master Guangcheng could sense that the golden light that flooded the capital had become extremely restless. It was clear that Heaven had already noticed. Such a major disturbance was impossible to hide from him.

Wang Chong’s only opportunity lay in the fact that Heaven could not stop him now that he was in the Heaven-Reaching Path.

You can only rely on yourself, Master Guangcheng mentally said.

It was impossible to say how long it would take to find Wang Chong, only that it wouldn’t be very long.

……

“Impossible!”

At this time, Wang Chong was rapidly moving through the Heaven-Reaching Path, the entire experience leaving him greatly stunned.

This passage to the Celestial Palace appeared like a pillar of light from the outside, but within, it was much more complicated, and the exact location of the Celestial Palace was much farther from the capital than it seemed.

Inside the passage, Wang Chong suddenly understood why it was known as the Heaven-Reaching Tower in the western world. No—perhaps it was better to call it the ‘Heaven-Reaching Tree’.

The internal structure of this passage was like a tree with countless branches, each branch extending into the depths of spacetime.

If not for the Dragon Qi guiding him, he would have easily gotten lost in this passage, ultimately losing himself in the unknown depths of spacetime.

“The Founding Tree!” A voice rang out in Wang Chong’s mind.

“What?”

Wang Chong subconsciously asked.

“You don’t get it? This is the legendary Founding Tree that is said to lead to the heavens!” Li Xuantu sternly said.

He had remained in hiding in Wang Chong’s halo divine tool all this time, and when Wang Chong entered the passage, he could see what was going on through Wang Chong’s eyes.

The Celestial Palace’s power engulfed the capital. If Heaven succeeded, the House of Li would be completely wiped out, together with the ancestral tombs of the House of Li.

Li Xuantu had made no comment on this, but he was still a part of the Li Clan, so he could not just sit back and do nothing. His quarrels with Li Taiyi were personal quarrels, but the fate of the House of Li concerned the fate of the entire realm. It could not be ended here.

“The legends said that the Founding Tree is a passage that connects the heavens and the earth, the only passage that can be used by the Celestial Emperor to travel between the heavens and the mortal realm. Wang Chong, you were born in a great clan. Did you never read about this?” Li Xuantu sternly said.

(TN: The Founding Tree, the 建木, is a mythical tree that is described in Chinese classics like the Classic of Mountains and Seas, Master Lu’s Spring and Autumn Annals, and the Huainanzi. It is described as a tree that the gods use to ascend and descend from the heavens.)

“…You’re saying…?”

Wang Chong pensively creased his brow.

“The holy tree is not a tree. The so-called Founding Tree is really this spacetime passage before us. The descriptions in those ancient texts match with what we’re seeing right now,” Li Xuantu said, appearing somewhat apprehensive toward the end.

Wang Chong seemed to realize something.

Boom!

At this moment, the passage fiercely shuddered as if it had been struck. Besides that, Wang Chong sensed that a storm of energy was rapidly approaching from behind him.

Heaven!

Wang Chong, Li Xuantu, and Little Nightmare, who was attached to Wang Chong’s body, all paled.

Just like Master Guangcheng had said, they could not hide from Heaven. He might be a little careless and not realize promptly, but he would still be able to sense what was going on eventually.

“Run!”

With no time to think, Wang Chong pushed his Stellar Energy and Dragon Qi to the limit, accelerating toward the Celestial Palace.

Heaven’s terrifying energy rapidly approached, and a cold and callous voice clearly rang out in their ears.

“You are… throwing yourself into the net!”

Rumble! The spacetime passage trembled, seemingly about to collapse.

“Master, what do we do?”

“This is his ritual tool! There’s no way we can outrun him!”

Li Xuantu and Little Nightmare both scowled.

Master Guangcheng was right. This operation was far more dangerous than they had imagined, and their chances of survival were basically zero. With Heaven’s speed, he would catch them before they could even get inside the Celestial Palace.

Wang Chong’s heart was madly thumping, his skull almost about to explode from the sense of danger weighing down on him.

“It’s not that simple. From a certain perspective, we’re already inside the Celestial Palace. In this passage, Heaven can’t use the power of the Celestial Palace.”

Countless thoughts ran through Wang Chong’s mind, and at this dangerous juncture, he remained calm and collected.

“Your meaning is…?”

Li Xuantu and Little Nightmare were both confused.

Master Guangcheng had already mentioned this, so why had Wang Chong mentioned it again? And what did that have to do with their current situation?

“You still don’t get it? This is a passage that Heaven built for himself, and the passage is linked to the inside. In other words, damaging the passage will also affect the insides of the Celestial Palace, perhaps even destroy them!” Wang Chong said, his eyes suddenly erupting with a sharp light.